The Man Who Rode with Eliyahu HaNavi [Hardcover]

Leibel Estrin (Author), Ayala Stern (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asks the prophet Eliyahu HaNavi if he can travel with him so that he can learn why things happen the way they do.

Editorial Reviews

From Scientific American

This beautifully illustrated book begins with a question that has puzzled people throughout the ages; why good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi thought about these questions and one day urged Eliyahu HaNavi, Elijah the Prophet, to answer them. Instead, Eliyahu took him for a trip, but made it clear that Yehoshua was not to ask questions, no matter what he saw or heard. At the end he does ask questions and the answers show that what appears to be taking place, does not really take place at all.

Review

Leibel Estrin has written a picture book which helps younger students grapple with the question: Why do bad things happen to good people? In The Man Who Rode With Eliyahu HaNavi, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi is permitted to travel with Eliyahu HaNavi on a journey which the rabbi hopes will help him understand the logic behind "why things happen the way they do." By the end of the trip the rabbi is more confused than before and angrily challenges Eliyahu to explain his actions - actions that on the surface punished the innocent and rewarded the wicked. Eliyahu's detailed answer can be used in a variety of educational settings to stimulate thoughtful discussions. Recommended for grades 1-4. -- Daf Hashavua, Cleveland OH. January 9, 1996

Like most of us, Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi wonders why good things happen to bad people, and why bad things happen to those who are good. One night he is given the opportunity to find out, as he joins Eliyahu HaNavi on his travels. Through delicate watercolor paintings and thoughtful dialogue, the young reader learns even if it sometimes appears otherwise everything Hashem does is always for the best. -- Book Description

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HaChai Publishing; 1st edition (April 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0922613230
• ISBN-13: 978-0922613236
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,016,596 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars :), January 27, 2010

By 

hannah (Sacramento, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Man Who Rode with Eliyahu Hanavi (Paperback)

This is a really good book for whatever purpose you might put it to. I found this in the Jewish library I work at and whenever parents ask for reccomendations on books, this is always one of the first books I reccomend. There are so many Jewish books out there on Hannukkah that finding a different Jewish book to read to a child the rest of the year can be difficult. This is a book that will work any time of year and, as for me, I enjoyed it as much as the kids who I read it to.

The story tells of a rabbi who travels with Eliyahu HaNavi and sees him doing things that seem evil, like killing the only cow belonging to a poor, elderly couple, building an extravagant mansion for a rude, rich man and more. The rabbi's faith is tested and he finally has to ask why. I will not tell you the answer though, because that would give away the ending!